Mr Raymond, 27, who grew up among gangs in Hackney, said street talk was an important aspect of the play, as language formed a large part of young people's identities.

"Shakespeare's language is very different from today," he said. "I don't think young people are being disrespectful by creating new words."

Ruth Nyanti, who plays the Cobbler (renamed Jamie Cobbler), said she had lived in care since she was six.

"I know a lot of people who have died through knife crime," said Ruth, 16, from Croydon.

"The things in our play actually happen in schools in real life. If I wasn't in Intermission I'd be doing those things too. It has helped me so much and now I work hard at school because I want to go into acting."

The theatre company, formed two years ago, is based in St Saviour's Church, Walton Place.

It holds coaching sessions with professionals such as Cicely Berry, voice director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Sylvia Syms, who played the Queen Mother alongside Helen Mirren in the Oscar-winning film The Queen.

The cast is made up of 10 young people and four professionals, with Julius Caesar played by Bamshad Abedi-Amin, 24.

Wasted is on every Thursday, Friday and Saturday until 12 December. Tickets cost £10 and £5 for concessions. For information go to intermission.org.uk